Walk Away
by Saskiar
Summary: Three years after the beginning of the project, Ichigo's life is changing and she is forced to realise what's truly important to her. RxI, slightly AU.
1. Important?

_A/N: Welcome to my first published fanfic and my first ever fic of TMM! _

_To set the scene: the time is two years after the project began. Ichigo is 16, Ryou is 19 and all the other characters slot in around these two ages. The girls are still fighting the Kimera Anima and the attacks on the city are fairly consistent. They are always successful. The aliens have not shown their faces for a while, preferring to send the monsters without warning._

_Reviews are valued, flames are not. I'd like to know if my writing/storyline is on track! Most of the story has already been written so hopefully updates will be regular (as long as my computer doesn't play tricks on me again!)._

_Hope you enjoy the first chapter (sorry, it is quite short)!_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew or any of the characters portrayed in this fiction._

**Chapter 1 – Important?**

It was a beautifully serene Friday morning; the kind dreams are made of. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the squirrels were…actually, forget about the squirrels. People around Tokyo were waking up to another day in their lives.

Then the peace was shattered.

"I'm going to be laaaaaaaate!" Sixteen-year old Ichigo Momomiya shrieked, skidding around a corner, before resuming her frantic jog to school. She dashed past shops, not noticing the bewildered glances from customers or the laughs from the younger children on their leisurely walk to school. In fact, she did not stop running until she had reached her cubbyhole, where she nearly collapsed, panting. Her clothing and hair were a mess, but she was too busy trying to catch her breath to fix them as she looked up to the amused faces of her two friends, Mowa and Miwa.

"Just in time, Ichigo," Mowa commented, grinning.

"Yeah, especially good timing, if you ask me," Miwa added.

"Why?" breathed out Ichigo.

"Hello Ichigo."

Ichigo nearly jumped into the ceiling with the shock. She had to concentrate for all of five seconds to will her ears and tail not to pop out and reveal her alter-identity. When she was sure she had them under control, she whirled around to see her boyfriend, Masaya Aoyama, staring at her with a slightly worried look on his handsome face. Ichigo was mortified.

"H-hi!" she gasped out, her face turning a lovely shade of red to rival her hair.

"Late again?" He smiled at her wanly. Without waiting for a reply, he barged on. "Listen, I need to ask you something quickly. Can we meet at the Downtown Café tomorrow?"

'Yes!' her mind screamed at her. She knew they needed some time alone – they had been fighting more than ever recently and had not had a proper uninterrupted date in a month as the attacks on Tokyo city had escalated. However, she knew she couldn't say that and her face fell. "I have work tomorrow," she replied instead.

Masaya looked mildly disappointed, but in his heart he had known this would be the answer. It always was.

"But maybe I could come in the afternoon," Ichigo amended quickly, seeing his expression. "I'll ask if I can get off work early!" 'Please Shirogane, don't screw this up for me,' she prayed internally.

Masaya did not smile. "That would be good, Ichigo. It's kind of important."

Ichigo's eyes widened. Important?

"Call me when you find out, ok. See you later." And before she could reply, Masaya was gone, swept into the crowd of student rushing to class. Ichigo nodded to herself and walked off in the opposite direction, heading for math class.

It was only when she was seated that she realized he had not kissed her when he left.


	2. Feel for Me

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! You motivated me to put a new chapter up earlier than expected, so enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1._

**Chapter 2 – Feel for Me**

After school, Ichigo ran down the steps of her school and towards the café, her red hair streaming behind her. She knew Ryou would be in a terrible mood if she was late again. She burst into the door and immediately looked at the clock on the wall, noting with relief that she was just on time. Unless he was counting seconds today…

"You're late, Strawberry," a voice said from the stairs.

"I am _not _late, Ryou Shir-" Ichigo's voice died as she looked to the stairs and realized that Ryou was nowhere in sight. In fact, the stairs were empty. Looking around, she quickly found the owner of the voice. "Mint!"

Mint laughed lightly before taking a small sip of her tea. "Couldn't help myself," she said. Zakuro smirked at her from her usual corner. Ichigo fumed silently, stomping into the changing room and changing into her uniform with lightning speed.

"Don't be mad, Ichigo-oneechan!" Pudding said chirpily, bounding into the changing room. She was juggling a couple of plates on sticks as a warm-up. Ichigo couldn't help herself. She smiled at the young blond who grinned back at her, causing her to drop the plates on the floor. Shards of china flew out from the point of impact, as both girls jumped at the sound and attempted to stay away from the sharp fragments. Before either of them could even blink, Lettuce had hurried into the room with a dustpan and broom.

"Sorry Lettuce-oneechan," said Pudding mournfully, but Lettuce merely smiled.

"Don't worry Pudding," she replied in her soft voice as Pudding ran out of the room, possibly to find more plates. "Are you alright, Ichigo?" she continued, sweeping the shards into the dustpan. "You look a bit strained."

Ichigo sighed and sat down on the bench. "I am a bit on edge, I guess."

Lettuce sat next to her. "Do you want to talk about it?" she enquired gently.

"Masaya asked me to go to the Downtown Café tomorrow and he said it's important," Ichigo replied, remembering with a small stab of apprehension the serious expression on his face as he told her this. "I need to ask Shirogane if I can leave early tomorrow afternoon."

"Don't get your hopes up."

Ichigo scowled at the arrogant tone of voice. This was the real Ryou. Sure enough, when she looked up, the blond was blocking the door, his arms crossed and a slight frown on his face. She let out an impatient huff.

"What does that mean?" she said crossly.

"It means that you can't leave work early, baka strawberry," Ryou replied.

Lettuce excused herself and hurried out of the room as Ichigo growled at him. He smirked at her in satisfaction and that was what pushed her over the edge. She exploded. "And why not? I work more than anyone else does here and all I'm asking is to be let out one hour early tomorrow so I can meet my boyfriend! Is that so hard?"

Ryou slowly sauntered over to her and in those few seconds, Ichigo felt a sudden desire to tuck the straying stand of blond hair behind his ear, out of the way of his…what on Earth was she thinking? She mentally slapped herself and glowered harder as he stopped in front of her.

"It is rather hard, especially when you're not working more than anyone else now," he replied smoothly. "Now, if you don't go outside and do something productive rather than gossiping, I'm going to take ten dollars off your salary." He nodded with satisfaction at the look on her face before gesturing to the door. "Go on."

Ichigo jumped up and flew out of the door, anxious not to lose the money from her salary. After all, she was after a raise, not a deduction! Ryou watched her go, the smirk falling from his face.

'But it's harder watching you go off with Masaya, knowing you don't feel for me the way I feel for you,' he though to himself, a bitter smile creeping onto his face. He could smell her scent lingering in the air, invading his sensitive nostrils. She even smelt of strawberries.

With a small shake of his head, Ryou strode out of the room, suddenly longing for a nap.


	3. Tea and Tantrums

_**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1._

**Chapter 3 – Tea and Tantrums**

Later that evening, the café closed at the usual time. Keiichiro had retired to the lab shortly after the doors closed to check on the safety of the city and the girls had been left to clean up the café. One by one, they completed their duties and slipped out, waving a goodbye to the others. Soon, only Ichigo was left. She finished mopping the floor before placing the mop in its bucket and washing her hands. Then she walked up the stairs to Ryou's room before stopping there. What was she going to say? She recalled his earlier mood and felt nervous about talking to her boss…but she had always managed to tackle him head-on before to come to an agreement. What was different about this time? She could feel her face growing warm. Shaking her head, she raised her hand…then dropped it.

'He's very stubborn,' she thought to herself. 'He won't say yes unless I give him something to help him change his mind.'

Even in her mind, her argument sounded feeble. Yet she went downstairs and put the kettle on, buying herself some thinking time. Once the tea was brewed, she walked downstairs to give a cup to Keiichiro, who smiled his thanks, looking tired. Then she checked to make sure Ryou's cup was brewed properly. Then she walked around the kitchen, making sure everything had been put away and double checking. Only then did she realize how silly she was being.

'If you stall any longer Ichigo, the tea is going to be stone cold by the time it gets there,' she thought, marveling at how her inner voice managed to sound like Ryou when it was telling her off.

Finally, she picked up the cup, walked up the stairs again and knocked on the door.

No answer.

She frowned and knocked again. This time the door opened slightly. Ichigo pushed it further, expecting Ryou to be glaring at her from inside but he was not standing at the doorway. She walked inside and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dark room. The window was open and it caused the curtains to billow silently. Mingled with the moonlight, they cast spooky shadows on the wall. Ichigo shivered in spite of herself. Putting the tea down on the table on her left, she looked around for her boss.

"Shirogane?" she whispered uncertainly.

Something on the bed moved. Ichigo stepped back quickly, her breath hitching in her throat and her heart pounding wildly. The figure mumbled vaguely and turned before settling down in a new position as the moonlight illuminated a head of golden-blond hair. It was Ryou.

Ichigo breathed slowly, trying to calm her racing heart. She crept silently towards him and peered down at his sleeping form. Her stomach flipped slightly and a smile graced her features as she observed the almost innocent look on his calm face. When he wasn't angry or stressed, he looked very sweet. And he was definitely better-looking this way! Her smile faded as she realized what she was thinking.

'Why am I thinking these thoughts about my rude, arrogant boss?' she thought to herself. 'I have a boyfriend. Masaya is my boyfriend, not Shirogane.' Frowning a bit, she stepped away from the bed before turning on her heel and walking out of the room.

At the doorway, she turned to look at Ryou once more. His mouth was curled up into a slight smile that made her smile despite herself. "Sweet dreams," she whispered into the room before closing the door gently behind her.

* * *

The moment Ryou woke up, he knew it was going to be a bad day. For one thing, the sun was streaming into his room, unshielded by the curtains, which he had stupidly left wide open before lying down last night for what was meant to be a small nap, but had turned into a deep sleep. For another thing, he has slept awkwardly and had a throbbing pain in his neck. To top it all off, he had dreamed about her again and had woken up with her face implanted in his mind, her sweet scent in the air and her voice filling his ears. He wanted his Strawberry…but no, she was not _his_ Strawberry. She was Masaya's girlfriend, not his. He growled at the thought. 

He stretched awkwardly before pulling a new shirt on, moving his sore neck uncomfortably. He was just about to exit the room when he noticed something on his desk that hadn't been there the night before. A cup of tea. He grabbed the cup gratefully, ready to take a gulp, but stopped it just before it reached his lips.

"It's cold!" he said in disgust. "Well, that's just great…"

Ryou walked out of his door and faced the staircase, cup in hand, only to be faced with the one person he was not ready to see.

'Today just isn't my day,' he thought.

"Good morning Shirogane," Ichigo said chirpily.

"I'm not in the mood for this."

"Having a bad day already? You just –"

"Get to the point, Momomiya," Ryou growled, stomping past her and into the kitchen.

"How do you –"

"I'd have to be blind and deaf not to know what you want!" he replied harshly, his back to her. He could not make eye contact with her. "You want the afternoon off? Fine, take it. But if you haven't finished your work when you leave today, your pay will be docked. Now go away and leave me alone!"

With that, Ryou busied himself with washing the stained cup out. Silence resonated after his last sentence and he thought she had left the room.

"I'm sorry."

He whirled around. Ichigo was still there, looking at him with a peculiar expression, a mixture of worry and hurt on her face. He felt regret flood through him, but before he could open his mouth, she was gone. He turned back to the counter and leaned heavily on it with a sigh. He had hidden his feelings well so far, but how much longer could he keep hiding before it all fell apart?


	4. The Downtown Cafe

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviews, you make my day!_

_**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1._

**Chapter 4 – The Downtown Café**

Ichigo ran along the street, one hand on her head to prevent her hat from flying away with the wind. She was late yet again. After double and triple checking that all her work was done at the café (she didn't want to lose any bit of her pay!) she had left, anxious to get to the Downtown Café and find out what Masaya wanted to talk to her about. She remembered his face as he told her 'it's kind of important' and her anxiety worsened. Did she want to hear it?

Finally, she arrived at the café and scrutinized her reflection in the window, trying to fix her hair into a more organized state before she entered. Through the window, she could see Masaya sitting alone in a booth, sipping on an iced tea and staring at the television above the door. He had not noticed her yet. Smiling slightly, she walked into the café and looked around her, taking in her surroundings. It had been a while since she had come to the retro café, but not much had changed. The walls were a pale blue, throwing sharp contrast to the high back, red leather booths with oak colored tables, which were fixed against two of the café's walls, giving the place the appearance of an old style diner. The third wall consisted of the counter where more chairs were dotted and two girls sat gossiping over mugs of hot coffee. The café was otherwise empty. Ichigo walked past them to the booth in the corner and plopped down opposite Masaya who looked up from his drink, an unusually morose expression on his face.

"Hi Masaya," Ichigo said, her smile wavering at his serious expression. "Sorry I'm late, had to finish off some work."

"I figured," Masaya replied, sounding rather tired. He cleared his throat. "Ichigo, I'm sorry if this seems forward but I have wanted to talk to you and I don't think it can wait." She swallowed and nodded; she already knew this. "Would you like something to drink first?"

Ichigo shook her head, feeling her insides form a little knot of nerves. "I just want to hear what's wrong," she said quietly.

He nodded at her, his expression softening a bit, his voice wavering as he spoke. "Ichigo, I know you have a lot of commitments. I understand that working in the café takes a lot of your time." He sighed. "But sometimes it feels as if your life revolves around the café…like there is something there that you are hiding from me. I tried to be understanding, but I can't deal with it anymore, Ichigo!" His voice had become louder and more confident. Ichigo's eyes widened.

"What are you saying, Masaya?" she asked hesitantly.

He bowed his head, before looking up again to meet her anxious eyes. "You're a wonderful girl Ichigo, but when you're not around I don't know if I love you anymore." He took a deep breath. "I don't think we should continue seeing each other."

Ichigo gasped. She couldn't help it. She was surprised. The pit of her stomach seemed to drop. She had had a feeling that Masaya would break up with her someday - they had been fighting more often recently. But preparing herself for a breakup was one thing; having it happen was quite another. She took a couple of gasping breaths and said the only thing that came to mind.

"Is there someone else?"

Masaya scratched the back of his head. He suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "Not really," he replied hesitantly.

"What does that mean?" Ichigo asked.

"I like someone else," he replied slowly. "But I haven't said anything to her or anyone else."

Ichigo relaxed slightly. Somehow, being the only one so far to know his secret made her feel a bit better.

He sighed. "Believe me Ichigo, I would never cheat on you. I never wanted to hurt you," Masaya said with a pained expression on his face. "I just wanted you to know the truth."

Ichigo nodded, but couldn't stop her eyes from filling up with tears. She ducked her head quickly and attempted to regain control of her emotions. She heard Masaya ask for the bill and some shuffling. When she looked up, Masaya was finishing the remnants of his drink, while fishing in his pocket for his money.

"I should go, Ichigo," he said softly. She nodded. He put the money on the table and got up to leave, but stopped beside her.

"You don't really need anyone to tell you this, but you're a great person when you're not so busy," he said softly. "I know one day you will make someone happy and someone will make you even happier. I'm sorry that person wasn't me." He shot her one last smile before he left the cafe.

Ichigo stared down at the table, her vision blurring up with the returning tears. "I'm sorry too," she whispered. "But somehow, I don't think it would have been you." She felt a couple of tears slid down her cheek and absently wondered why a small part of her suddenly felt…liberated.


	5. Heartless

_A/N: Sorry it's taken longer than I expected to get this chapter out - I'm still learning the ropes of posting here! I was considering reposting the story because of the missing disclaimer but the problem has been fixed. Phew!  
Thanks to everyone who reviews, they make me smile! )  
__  
**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1._

**Chapter 5 – Heartless**

The next day, everything seemed perfect, from the birds chirping merrily in their nest outside her bedroom window, to the sun which was shining over Tokyo, spreading warmth over the people working outdoors. However, Ichigo was impermeable to all of this as she walked along the path to the café. Her face looked tired and splotchy and her shoulders were slumped forward. She felt terrible and looked like she hadn't slept all night. She wandered into the café and went to change without looking at the clock. For once, she didn't care how late she was.

'Let Ryou Shirogane try me today,' she thought to herself. 'Just let him try.'

After changing quickly into her uniform, Ichigo went straight to work. She took orders, swept the broken china off the floor after Pudding's tricks backfired and washed the dishes, all without stopping to chat, reprimand or even flash a her trademark smile to her fellow Mew Mews. They exchanged concerned glances as they met up in the kitchen.

"She looks terrible," Lettuce whispered, watching Ichigo take an order from a customer. She didn't seem to be paying any attention to him as she scribbled on the pad. Her eyes were glazed and she was staring at the stairs.

"What happened to her?" Mint asked the others, a touch of concern disguised in her otherwise haughty voice.

"She went to meet Masaya yesterday," Lettuce supplied. "It was something important. She hasn't talked to any of us this morning though so I don't know what it was about."

Zakuro shook her head slowly. "Poor kid just got dumped."

Lettuce and Mint gasped. "No way!"

"Why – " Pudding started, but she stopped speaking as the door opened and Ryou came in. Seeing all of the girls huddled in the kitchen, he simply raised an eyebrow at them. The girls took that as their cue to get back to work and hurried out of the kitchen, just as Ichigo wandered in.

"Good morning, Ichigo-oneechan," Pudding said timidly as she raced out of the swinging doors. Ichigo nodded at her and tried to smile, before noticing the person in front of her staring at her in a discomfiting manner. She knew she was in for it.

"Ichigo, I wanted to talk to you," Ryou said, indicating she should sit down.

She remained standing and waited for him to speak, not breaking her gaze.

His face hardened as he spoke. "Ichigo, you showed up 20 minutes late for work today. Your work has been sloppy and irregular. The customers are complaining you are not bringing their orders fast enough or when you do, you bring them the wrong order. What the hell is going on?"

Ichigo stared defiantly at him. "I had something on my mind," she replied in a bored tone. She knew he wouldn't care about her break-up even if she told him. In fact, he would probably laugh.

"Apparently." Ryou said, feeling a spark of annoyance at her insolence. "I will be docking two hours worth of money off your pay."

"Two hours!" she screeched. "What for?"

"For bad work," he replied smugly. "I don't pay you to do a half-rate job."

"Last time I checked, you barely paid me enough to do the job in the first place and now you want to take away what little you do give!" Ichigo said hotly.

Ryou threw his hands up in exasperation. "Not this again! I'm not giving you a raise Ichigo, no matter how many times or in how many ways you ask and especially not today, when your performance in your job has been mediocre at best!"

"_My_ job? I didn't even apply for this stupid job in the first place!" she yelled back at him.

"You don't have a choice!" he hissed, aware that the patrons outside had fallen silent and a few were beginning to whisper about the raised voices coming from the kitchen. "This is what you are destined for –"

"Thanks to you!" she screamed at him. "You and your stupid experiments ruined everything I had! This project cost me my social life! Thanks to you, I lost my boyfriend! Well, I won't take it anymore," Ichigo hissed, ripping off her apron and throwing it on the floor. "I QUIT!"

Two hours had passed since Ichigo has stormed out of the café and Ryou could still feel the eyes of the patrons and the other Mew Mews boring into him as he had come out of the kitchen. He could still hear the shocked whispering following him as he ran up the stairs. But more clearly of all, he could still hear her.

"Thanks to you, I lost my boyfriend!"

So the dreamboat had left her. No wonder she had been so upset. No wonder her work had been so poor. The one thing he had dreamed of for so long had finally happened…and he had gone and turned the situation into his worst nightmare.

"I QUIT!"

Why couldn't he control his emotions around her? What was it about her that drove him over the edge?

There was no point asking the question when he already knew the answer. Frustration. Utter frustration. He wanted to know what she felt about him. He needed to know she cared.

"Our café seems to have received a lot of publicity today." Ryou looked up to find Keichiiro in front of him, the older man's kind eyes shining. "I think your little shouting match could be heard a few miles away. Even Minto is working now."

Ryou bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry Keiichiro."

Keiichiro grinned. "That's the funny thing Ryou – I don't actually recall hearing your voice in the argument." Ryou glared at his feet but said nothing.

"Ryou, I'm not worried about Ichigo's departure," Keiichiro continued, more serious now. "What she said was true enough, but she has a good heart. She will not want to leave the people of Tokyo in danger, as they will invariably be if she quits the project. At the moment, I'm worried about you."

Ryou looked up as his mentor continued speaking. "I can see that you can't control yourself around her. I know your feelings for her are as strong as the last time we spoke, but acting like this won't give her any indication of that." Keiichiro smiled wanly. "You need to show her you care about her feelings. If you keep arguing with her about everything, she will leave one day…and never come back."

"How do you know that time is not now?" Ryou said miserably.

"Because we need her here and she knows this. You are going to ask her to come back," Keiichiro replied. "Not now though – in a few days. Let her have some space and time to grieve over the end of her relationship first."

Ryou nodded. He could do it. He would do it. He would get his strawberry back.


	6. Wanting

_A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers! Hope you like this chapter..._

_**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1._

**Chapter 6 - Wanting**

_"Ichigo."_

_The girl looked up from her bed, where she had been lying on her front, reading a book. "Yes?"_

_"Ichigo," the voice repeated. It sounded as if it was coming from the window. Ichigo turned and almost screamed when she saw a head bobbing outside her window. Ryou Shirogane's head._

_"What are you doing there?" she hissed, scrambling into a sitting position and opening the window to allow Ryou to climb in. Even though she was angry at him, she didn't want to be responsible for his death. "I don't want to talk to you."_

_"I know you're angry, Strawberry," Ryou said calmly, sitting beside her on the bed so they were facing each other. "But please don't leave the café."_

_"Give me one good reason why I should come back," Ichigo challenged._

_Ryou smiled, moving closer to her, so close that their noses were almost touching. "Because," he whispered, "If you go, you'll never get this…"_

"Ichigo?" Sakura's voice floated through the open door. Ichigo bolted awake, gasping. "Wake up dear, breakfast is ready."

"Ok!" Ichigo replied in a voice that was higher than usual, touching her lips, which were still tingling with anticipation…for Ryou's kiss.

Ten days had passed since she had stormed out of the café. Ten days of emptiness after school as she trudged home to do her homework instead of running off to the café. A couple of times she had walked halfway to the café before realizing she had no place there. She had thought she would be happy to be free but her heart always felt heavy. She felt like something was missing from her life.

Funnily enough, she hadn't had any problem facing Masaya since their breakup. He seemed to be avoiding her more than she did him. She almost felt bad for him because she wasn't mourning the loss of their relationship. After she had gotten over the initial shock, she was almost content that it was over. The recent arguments had not been pleasant to endure. Besides, now she had something else on her mind.

Every night since the breakup, Ichigo had dreamt of sunshine blond hair and sea-blue eyes; every morning afterwards, she had woken up feeling just a little giddy. This wasn't the first time. She had felt lightheaded around him before – although who wouldn't, the boy was unnaturally good looking (and it was all natural!). However, she had previously written off the feelings as a mild case of madness – she had not wanted to be disloyal to her boyfriend.

Now the tables had turned. She was single. Her boyfriend had been the one to entertain feelings for another girl…and he had had the guts to break up with her to act on those feelings. And Ichigo knew why she had not felt the searing pain she had always associated with the breakup of Masaya and herself. She knew why she couldn't help noticing the way a fringe of blond hair fell into his eyes; the way the corner of those beautiful blue orbs crinkled whenever he grinned at something stupid she had done; the way his deep eyes seemed to hide his emotions whenever he schooled his face into a look of passive consciousness. She knew that somewhere along the way she had developed a crush on Ryou Shirogane.

But it wasn't that simple. She was still angry at him. Angry at the way he had no compassion towards her feelings. Angry that he had let her walk away in tears after hurting her. Angry that he probably didn't even feel the way she did. And why should he? She was a silly 16-year-old schoolgirl and he was…

"Ichigo?" Sakura had entered her room and was now looking at the teenager with a concerned look on her face. "Are you feeling alright?"

Ichigo smiled at her mother's concern. "I'm fine. I'm almost up!"

Sakura smiled. "Good. Someone is downstairs to see you, so please get dressed and come down soon." She went back down the stairs.

Ichigo was puzzled. She pulled on a nice pair of jeans and a pink short sleeve top before brushing her teeth, all the while wondering who was downstairs. Was it Ryou? Couldn't be, she wasn't sure he knew where she lived. Besides, why would he come now, after she had made it so clear she was finished with the project? Her gut twisted uncomfortably at the thought of the Mews and she scanned her mind for who else it could be. Masaya maybe? What would he want with her now?

She bounded down the stairs and her mother looked at her over the top of the newspaper, before gesturing towards the front door. Ichigo walked out of the front door and wished she hadn't after she shut it. Sitting on the swing to her right was none other than Ryou Shirogane.

Seeing him made all of her emotions jump to the surface. Excitement. Anger. Curiosity. She stared at him and noticed that he was looking especially handsome today. He was wearing jeans and a polo shirt and had the intoxicating smell of aftershave on him, which her cat senses could pick up from where she was standing. She suddenly felt the urge to hug him and had to fight with her feet to prevent herself from jumping into his arms. He smirked at her.

"Cat got your tongue, Strawberry," he said lazily, and suddenly the anger was back. He had no idea how he made her feel, the stupid boy! Although, the comment had been witty. Score one for him. She ignored his statement and leaned back on the doorframe.

"How did you get here?" she asked him icily.

"I walked."

Score two for Ryou. "I meant, how did you know where I live, Shirogane?"

He actually laughed then, a laugh that made her shiver inside. "I've walked you home many times in the past three years and you're asking me this now?"

Ichigo blushed. Score three and all out. She was falling fast. "What do you want then?"

He sat up straighter. "I want you to come back to the café."

"Plain as that?"

"Yes."

"Why should I?"

Ryou sighed. "Ichigo, we need you and I know you aren't the type to just leave when people need you –"

"Then you don't know me at all!" Ichigo replied hotly. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them – not only was she lying to him, she was lying to herself and she knew it. Ryou looked like he did too, as his eyes narrowed.

"That's not true," he said in a low voice. "The Ichigo I know cared about the people she was destined to protect."

"There we go; all that destiny stuff again!" Ichigo flared up at once. "So that's all I'm worth, is it? I'm just a pawn who has to save everyone else! No one really cares about what I want!"

"I care."

He said it so softly, it was almost as if he had not intended her to hear it but she did and immediately fell silent. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, until a car horn startled them and they broke eye contact. Ichigo looked nervously at her feet.

"What do you want Ichigo?" he asked in his normal voice.

'You.'

She almost said it. Almost. But she bit her tongue.

"I need some space, Ryou," she replied, not looking up. "I need time to think."

He stood up and sighed again, noisily. Ichigo looked up and could tell he was struggling with his words.

"Ok, fine," he finally replied, walking past her. Ichigo could smell his cool aftershave. It reminded her of the ocean and she closed her eyes, missing the glance he shot her way. At the foot of the stairs he stopped. "I hope you will come back soon," he said to the verandah pole in front of him. "We need you."

'I need you,' Ryou thought as he walked back to the café, his heart lighter than it had been since Ichigo had left. He had done his part. He just hoped it would be enough.

Ichigo watched him walk away, her heart pounding. The way he had said 'we need you'…it almost sounded more personal. She shook her head slightly – she knew she was fantasizing again. Still, it was getting hard to control her feet again. Suddenly, she wanted to run after Ryou, to forgive him, to go back to the café. She moved forward a little…

The door opened behind her and Sakura popped out, snapping Ichigo out of her reverie. She smiled brightly at her daughter. "Was that your boss? He's such a gentleman. So polite!"

"Ex-boss," Ichigo reminded her mother absently.

"Oh yes," Sakura replied, her smile slipping a little. "Well, come inside and have breakfast!"

The phone rang then and Sakura hurried inside, allowing Ichigo a moment to ponder as she entered at a slower pace. She remembered her mother's reaction when Ichigo had told her she had quit work. Sakura had almost looked disappointed. Was this another sign she should return? Was some divine intervention telling her that her destiny was to be a Mew Mew after all?

Ichigo shut the door behind her as her mother came out of the living room. "Ichigo, phone call for you. It's Masaya."


	7. Breaking the Habit

_A/N: Of all the chapters, this one was the most difficult to write, so I hope it makes sense. Thanks goes to Tarlia for trying to help me out with it and to my reviewers for making me smile! XD_

_**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1._

**Chapter 7 – Breaking the Habit**

Ryou was lying on his bed, staring absently at the ceiling. He had been so close to getting Ichigo back to the café, that much he could tell. But how close was he to getting her? That was something even his sharp cat senses could not help him figure out. He sighed and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds around him. The reassuring hum of the computer. The sound of Keiichiro shouting…huh?

Ryou bolted out of his bed and out of his room. From the foot of the stairs he could hear Keiichiro asking the patrons of the café to leave, as the café had to close unexpectedly. He knew what this meant. There was another attack and all the girls had to go. He hurried down the stairs in time to see the last patron disappear out the door and the café was silent.

"Ah Ryou," Keiichiro said, sounding frayed. "There's been a Kimera Anima sighting in the city. The girls just left, but they'll need Ichigo. Please go to her house and tell her the situation, then both of you go to the city. Hurry!"

Ryou nodded and ran out of the café, retracing his steps back to the Momomiya household. He knew Ichigo had asked for time, but unfortunately there wasn't any. There was no point arguing with Keiichiro when he was in a mood like this. Besides, Ichigo wouldn't leave her friends in danger.

Would she?

He reached the house in minutes and knocked on the door.

No answer.

He frowned. This was odd. Ryou knew that if she was going out, she would take more than an hour to get ready, yet she hadn't looked like she was going out when he came to talk to her an hour ago.

"Hello?" he called out. "Ichigo?" He waited for a minute before calling out again, the desperation beginning to show in his voice. Still no one came. Either Ichigo had become very good at ignoring him or she was gone. Either way, she would not be able to help the girls. They would have to be a team of four for this fight.

Ryou jogged away from the house and towards the city. He had tried to get her. Now all he could do was watch the girls fight and hope for a miracle.

* * *

Ichigo sat down at the booth in the Downtown Café, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu. Not even ten days after her breakup and she was here again. She ordered a bottle of Coke and sat back, watching the talk show on TV and waiting for Masaya. 

He had called her this morning, right after she came in from her conversation with Ryou, asking if she could come down to the Downtown Café for a drink. "I still want us to be friends, Ichigo," he said in his calming voice. Of course she agreed. He was still a nice person…although this revelation didn't explain why he had been shying away from her for the past week in school, or why he had to choose _this_ particular café. Still, she had nowhere else to be.

At that moment, a different face popped into her line of view and smiled at her. "Good morning Ichigo."

She returned the smile as Masaya sat opposite from her. "Thanks for agreeing to meet with me," he continued. "I thought it would be good to catch up again." His face melted into a worried look. "I also wanted to make sure you weren't hurt by our last meeting."

'Last meeting?' Ichigo thought to herself. 'That was our breakup, not a business meeting!'

"I'm fine Masaya," she replied. "I understand why our relationship had to end and I'm glad that it ended peacefully."

'Actually, I'm glad it ended full stop,' Ichigo added to herself taking a sip of her drink so that Masaya wouldn't see the silly grin on her face.

"Well…" Masaya said in a nervous voice, which made Ichigo look up, the straw dropping out of her mouth. "It doesn't have to end."

She squinted at him. "What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

He looked down. "I miss you Ichigo," he admitted. "All I've done this past week is think about you."

Ichigo's mouth dropped open. "But…you said you liked another girl?"

"I do!" he replied earnestly. "But I can't stop thinking about you." He looked into her eyes. "I think we should have another chance at our relationship."

A few weeks ago, this scene would have melted her heart, but now she was immune. She felt nothing and she was wiser. She knew it wasn't right for her to go back to him when her heart clearly was no longer his.

"Masaya, that can't be right," she said soothingly, trying to solve the situation before her. "How can you like another girl and want to be with me?"

He fiddled with the napkin that had been placed in front of him. "I don't know."

She sighed. He was not making this easy. "Ok…you know, the reason you can't stop thinking about me may be because we only broke up a few days ago. If you give it time, you will feel better." Ichigo was struck by a sudden thought. "Have you talked to the other girl yet? Told her how you feel?"

"I have talked to her," he replied slowly. "I told her how I felt about her."

"And?" she prodded, when he did not elaborate.

"She didn't want to be with me," Masaya mumbled.

Ichigo couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So that's it! You want me back just because she didn't want to go out with you?"

"No!" Masaya said loudly; people turned in their seats to look at them. Masaya's cheeks reddened and he lowered his voice. "No it's not like that."

"Then what is it like? I'd love to know."

He ignored her sarcasm. "I know our break up was rather sudden, Ichigo, and I wanted to give us another chance -"

"Knowing that you didn't have one with the other girl."

"No!" Masaya sounded slightly frustrated now. "Listen, why do you have to be so difficult? I mean, I like you, you like me, this should work!"

"Perhaps I don't like you," Ichigo whispered.

There was silence.

"What did you say?" Masaya finally asked.

"Masaya, I-I like someone else." There. She had said it.

His mouth fell open. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just did!"

"I mean before. When I was breaking up with you!"

"What would have been the point in that? We were over. What would have been accomplished?"

"I would have known the truth!"

But Ichigo wasn't listening anymore. She was staring at the TV as if in a trance. The talk show had been interrupted by a news flash and it wasn't good news.

"Trouble in Tokyo City today as a monstrous creature attacks pedestrians and cars alike. A small group of unidentified citizens, who we believe to be the group known as the Mew Mews, are attempting to control the creature, which is -"

"And now you're not even listening!"

"Huh?" Ichigo replied, snapping out of her trance. "Oh, sorry. My phone just buzzed." With that excuse, Ichigo fumbled in her bag, her heart racing. She knew what was going on. Her fellow Mew Mews needed her and she had to decide whether to answer the call. She bent over her phone and pretended to be reading an SMS, before letting out a shocked gasp.

"What is it now?" Masaya asked, sounding exasperated.

"Emergency down at the café. I have to go." She arranged her face into what she hoped was an apologetic look before remembering Masaya's feelings about the café. Too late.

"The café again! It's always the café!" Masaya let out a bitter laugh.

"Now is not the time –"

"That was the problem, Ichigo. There never was time. I pity the guy who you like," Masaya said scornfully. "He'll have this café job to compete with! The job that tore us apart!"

Ichigo glared daggers at him. "Well, maybe this guy will actually understand what responsibility is and accept that I am taking some!"

"You don't have to though!"

"Oh, but I do," Ichigo's voice had gone low. "I will continue to because I am needed. They need me. And I need them." She stood up. "Those who love me understand. Now I know you aren't one of them."

With that, Ichigo walked out of the café and to the battle she knew she had to join. After all, it was her destiny.

* * *

_A/N: I'm sorry if Masaya seems slightly OOC! I probably shouldn't have to put this in an author's note (cringe) but I'm not sure it came out well in the dialogue. The reasoning behind his odd behavior is he's just tired of being played around by the girl he liked for so long and being rejected by his new crush certainly didn't help matters. After all, there is a limit to what a guy's patience can take. _


	8. Thank You

_A/N: Sorry for the unexpected delay on this chapter – truth be told, it was in a bit of a mess (heaps of thanks go to Jenn-LC for beta-reading/nit-picking it with me until we were both satisfied!) and when it was ready it wouldn't upload! Still trying to fix that problem but in the meantime, thank goodness for Wordpad! Also, thanks to my reviewers for your patience! I hope this chapter satisfies all the shippers…for now. ;)_

_**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1._

**Chapter 8 – Thank You**

Ryou was a bundle of nerves. He had arrived on the scene minutes ago to what could accurately be described as chaos. People were screaming and running away from what appeared to be an enormous dinosaur. Ryou didn't even have time to contemplate how the aliens had managed the impossible task of finding the DNA of a dinosaur to infuse as he saw the girls attempting to restrain the creature. Their powers were being used in vain though, as the jets of light bounced off the creature's scaly hide and back at the caster, forcing the girls to dodge.

"Ryou!" Mint screamed over the roar of the creature. "Where is Ichigo?"

He could only shrug helplessly as she dove to avoid being hit by the trunk-like tail that was swinging her way. Masha was flying around the creature's head, trying to distract it so the girls could find the tattoo they needed to aim for. Suddenly the robot changed course and flew to Ryou, who had crouched behind an abandoned car. The dinosaur began stomping around in rage, successfully distracted by the annoying pink ball which had escaped its fury.

"Mew Mew approaching! Mew Mew approaching!" Masha trilled in a high pitched voice.

"They're already here, Masha," Ryou told the creature.

"Mew Mew approaching! Mew – mmph!" the noise was cut off as Ryou clamped a hand around the creature.

"She's not here so –"

"Ribbon Strawberry Check!"

Ryou stood up and let go of Masha in surprise, hardly daring to hope. Through the cloud of debris caused by the monster's stamping feet, he could see the girls regrouping. From within them, a flash of pink was penetrating the fog, closing in on the creature. Ryou sank to his knees and whispered the thought echoing through the minds of all the Mews at that moment.

"Thank you."

* * *

The battle was over. 

They had won.

So why were the girls sitting around the café with worry etched on their faces?

"Thank you for coming, Ichigo-oneechan," Pudding said in an unusually somber voice. "You saved us from defeat."

"I didn't come fast enough," Ichigo replied in a voice hoarse from screaming during battle, looking down into her lap.

"But you came," Zakuro replied in a low voice. "And that's what matters."

"I hope she will be alright," Pudding said.

The others murmured their agreement. Silence fell within the little group again. After what seemed like forever, the door at the top of the stairs opened and Keiichiro emerged, followed closely by Ryou. Keiichiro smiled at the girls.

"Why the long faces, girls? You did it again and Lettuce will be fine. When the monster whipped its tail around, it only hit her leg, which is broken, but she will be fine. She just passed out from the pain," he explained.

Mint let out a sigh of relief and Pudding clapped her hands happily. "Oh, that's not so bad! Lettuce-oneechan will be alright!"

She began to move towards the stairs but Keiichiro held up his hand, gesturing for her to stop. "Sorry Pudding, but she has not woken up yet. We gave her some pain medication that contained a sedative so she will be asleep until tomorrow. I suggest you girls go home and get some rest. The café will be closed today."

Mint and Pudding immediately raced off to the change room, calling out their thanks, as Zakuro followed at a more dignified pace. Keiichiro turned to Ichigo, his smile growing wider. "Thank you for coming. Without you, the girls wouldn't have been able to do it."

"You work best as a group," Ryou said abruptly. "Today certainly proved that, if nothing else did."

Ichigo did not say anything.

"I do need to ask for your favour," Keiichiro continued. "Would we be able to tell Lettuce's parents she is staying with you while she recuperates here in the café? She seems to be stuck in her transformed state while she is unconscious and we cannot allow her parents to see her like that."

Ichigo nodded, her face lowered. Keiichiro walked towards her and knelt in front of her, raising her face slightly so they could see the tears running down her cheeks. Unexpectedly, Ryou felt his heart knot and he suppressed a wince at the jolt of realization. It hurt him to see her cry.

"Don't feel bad Ichigo," Keiichiro said gently. "You came at the right time. Lettuce will heal and she will not be angry at you."

Ichigo smiled a watery smile at Keiichiro. "Thank you Akasama-san, but I still feel bad."

Keiichiro patted her hand sympathetically before rising and turning back to Ryou. "Now is your chance," he mouthed to the blond before walking upstairs and into the room where Lettuce lay.

Ryou's eyes widened. Was he talking about getting Ichigo back to the café or something else…he wasn't sure. 'What do I do? Oh geez.' He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably before kneeling down in front of her.

"Ichigo, stop cry –" he bit his tongue. He was doing it again and this time, he knew it! He was being impatient with her to hide the feelings that would otherwise be betrayed by his voice…but why was he hiding? Did he need to hide anymore?

"Please stop," he amended in a gentler tone, placing his hand over hers. Ichigo looked up, her red-rimmed eyes the evidence of her guilty conscience and Ryou could focus on nothing else. He smiled at her, the sudden desire to see her smile back at him capturing him. "Do not feel bad about the past. Keiichiro is right – the important thing is that you came. You came when we needed you the most."

"I should have been there from the start," Ichigo whispered. "I should have come back when you asked me to this morning."

"Did you know there was going to be an attack?" Ryou asked her, a flicker of a smirk on his lips. Ichigo shook her head. "Then there was no reason you had to come back. Your request for a bit of thinking time was reasonable."

Ichigo knitted her brow. Ryou stared at her intently. He could almost see her mind weighing the pros and cons at this moment and decided to add some extra persuasion.

"My only hope is that you will decide to join us again. As you probably saw today, we need you Ichigo," he continued.

She hesitated for a split second, before looking up to meet his eyes. "I need you too," she replied softly and his heart skipped.

Suddenly her face broke into a smile. "I'm coming back."

"You're coming back?" Ryou almost cringed at how hopeful his voice sounded. But if she said yes…

"Yes."

He grinned then, a split second grin that made his face light up. "Thank you Ichigo," he whispered.

"It's my duty," she replied, her sweet breath tickling Ryou's face. He blinked slowly and when he opened his eyes, she appeared closer than before. He could see the flecks of amber in her brown eyes, one of which still had a teardrop clinging to the eyelashes. He reached out a thumb to brush the offending drop away and her breath hitched in her throat as the soft pad of his thumb gently brushed her eyelids, trailing the tear down her cheek until it had all dried up.

"Ichigo…"

SMASH!

"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry…"

"Keiichiro!"

Ichigo and Ryou sprang back as if they had been burnt. Just in time – Mint stomped out of the dressing room with her regular clothing on and glared at Ichigo and Ryou. "Pudding broke a plate," she explained to them, apparently mistaking their deer-in-the-headlights look for surprise at the sound. "Don't even know where she got it from. I'm leaving now," she added, before tossing her hair and walking out of the café.

Ryou sighed and turned back to Ichigo. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung slightly ajar. He had to struggle with all his self control to prevent himself from touching her face again. Instead, he stood up. "I'd better go and see what the damage is," he muttered to the girl. "Go home and rest, Strawberry." The word slipped out before he could stop it and he turned his face to hide the embarrassed smile that had involuntarily fixed itself on his face as he walked towards the changing room.

What had just happened between them?

More importantly, what would have happened if Mint had not walked in?


	9. The Sunshine After the Storm

_A/N: Thank-you to Tarlia, Jenn-LC and Kat for answering all my Japanese questions for this chapter (yes, lots of help!) and Jenn-LC for minor nitpicking once again! Sorry for the long wait. :(_

_**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1._

**Chapter 9 – The Sunshine After the Storm**

Frustration. That was the word that summed it all up.

Utter frustration.

Ichigo narrowed her eyes in thought as she pulled on a pair of pink leggings and a fluffy sweater. Her re-entry into the café had been happily accepted by all the girls, but no more so than by Mint. Ichigo couldn't help but smile at her friend's reaction.

"_If you ever leave me like that again, I swear I will come to your house and track you down myself! Do you know how many nails I chipped while sweeping the floor? Not to mention the running around…eugh!"_

The girls had all laughed as Ichigo promised she would not subject Mint to the perils of actually doing work again, as long as Shirogane gave her a raise. Expecting the familiar retort, she looked around in surprise when it did not come and noticed, with some disappointment, that he was no longer in the room. That morning had been the last time she had seen him in two weeks.

Two weeks!

It was almost like he was avoiding her. The thought made her worry.

Ichigo grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl on the table and called out a goodbye to her parents as she walked out the door and onto the grey path, remembering the happiness in the café when Lettuce had finally woken up over 24 hours after she had fallen. Her leg was getting better now and she had been allowed home that night, telling her parents she had had an accident while skating. Thankfully they had believed her.

She turned right and continued on. She almost couldn't believe she was doing this, but here she was. Walking towards the café on her day off. She wouldn't have done this, if it hadn't been for her dream. It had been so vivid…Ichigo frowned as she remembered the vision from last night.

-----

_Ichigo was alone, in a dim hallway. A plain white door stood ahead of her. She stood alone, wondering where to go._

"_Come into the light, neko-san."_

_The voice came from behind the door. She knew the voice, but in this long hallway it echoed ethereally, displaced in her memory. Her feet began to move of their own accord, carrying her along._

"_Hikari ni kuru…"_

"_Who's there?" she whispered, reaching for the door handle._

"_I need you." _

-----

Ichigo let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. The dream had been so realistic that she had actually felt the door handle in her hand and heard the echoing as if she were in the chamber. The only thing she hadn't experienced was seeing who the man behind the door was. But in her mind she already knew.

She walked into the empty café, her shoes clicking on the shiny linoleum as she walked up to the hallway from her dream. This time though, the doorway was on her right. It was Ryou's room. She was about to reach for the door handle when she heard muffled voices. There was more that one person in there. Ichigo tried to make out what the voices were saying but she couldn't hear through the wood. She raised her hand and knocked, suddenly feeling slightly foolish.

There was a pause, and then footsteps and the door opened a crack to reveal a set of brown eyes. "Oh hello Ichigo," Keiichiro's voice said, the surprise evident in his voice. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Good morning Keiichiro-sama. I'm sorry for popping in so unexpectedly."

"Oh, that's fine," Keiichiro said lightly. He sounded troubled. Before she could say anything further, he turned around and muttered something to the other inhabitant of the room, who muttered something she didn't hear. He turned back quickly and opened the door wider, stepping out neatly before closing it after him and smiling at the redhead.

"Won't you come downstairs and have a cup of tea? Ryou will join us in a few minutes," he added, noticing her eyes lingering on the door. A sparkle gleamed in his eyes but he said nothing, choosing to walk down the stairs instead.

Ichigo nodded and walked back downstairs slowly. She watched as Keiichiro began to prepare the tea and pulled cakes out of the cupboard. Something felt amiss. "Is anything wrong, Keiichiro?"

Keiichiro glanced at the girl. Of course she knew. She had the senses of a cat, after all. "Not quite Ichigo," he replied gently. "It is just that today is the anniversary of Ryou's parents passing."

Ichigo covered her mouth in shock. She hadn't even known they were dead. Ryou never talked about his parents and no one had ever asked. Ichigo had just assumed they lived elsewhere in Japan.

"I know you probably didn't know about this," Keiichiro continued softly. "Ryou never talks about it, except on this day. All of his emotions seem to come out on this day only. It is his day of release."

"I – I shouldn't be here," Ichigo whispered, walking backwards.

"Ichigo, don't leave," Keiichiro said in a soothing voice. "I asked Ryou and he's fine with you being here. I think he needs someone else to be here with him." He sighed. "Please stay."

"Yeah Strawberry, after you went to all the trouble of coming in the first place, why would you leave now?" Ryou's sarcastic voice rang out as he descended the stairs. Ichigo immediately noticed his eyes were slightly red and blinked to stop her own tears.

"I just thought you might want some privacy," she muttered.

Ryou swallowed heavily but shook his head. "No, it's fine."

Ichigo looked up at him, her eyes brighter than usual. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents…I didn't know."

"No one does," he whispered.

"But now I do," Ichigo whispered back mindlessly, looking into his eyes. She was used to seeing his eyes as closed vessels, blocking off the emotions held inside but today she realized she could see his loss and loneliness. This day was hurting him, but this release was his way of accepting their death.

Unconsciously, she reached for his hand and was pleasantly surprised when, instead of the reaction she would have been expecting, Ryou put his hand in hers. She was far more surprised when he suddenly pulled her towards his chest and held her close. She wrapped her shaking arms around him slowly, holding him and feeling the pain emanating from within; his heart racing; the deep breaths, his chest rising and falling; the lone tear which slipped down his cheek and fell onto her head. She felt it and held him, hoping that this pain would help him find peace.

Sometime later, the tea had been finished and Keiichiro had ducked down to the lab, muttering something about surveillance cameras, leaving Ryou and Ichigo at the table. Both were more relaxed in each other's presence than they had ever been. Ryou was still holding Ichigo's hand and telling her a story from his childhood, about the happy times he had had with his parents. She listened with a smile on her face, genuinely interested in what she was hearing and laughed when he told her the more amusing aspects of his childhood.

"They sound like wonderful people Ryou," she said honestly, before realizing she had called him by his first name for the first time. However he didn't appear to notice and smiled at her.

"They were," he responded with a sigh. "I miss them a lot…but I take comfort in the fact that I'm following in my father's footsteps and hopefully making them proud."

"I would think that you are making them proud," she said with a small grin. "After all, how many people can say they're helping to save Tokyo from destruction?"

He laughed.

For a while after, there was amicable silence between the pair, each comfortable in the silence and their own thoughts. Then Ryou reacted. He sat up slightly, regarding her with an almost curious look. "Do not be insulted if I ask you this Ichigo, but why did you come to the café on your day off, no less?"

Ichigo let out a nervous laugh. "I could tell you but it'll sound silly."

"Try me."

The challenge in his voice was back, but she would not argue this time. She smiled weakly. "I had a rather odd dream…"

Seeing that Ryou was giving her a blank look, she continued on hurriedly. "Someone was calling for me…he needed me to come into the light." She realized this sounded so foolish. "The dream seemed so vivid that when I woke up, I felt I needed to be here, I can't explain –"

Ryou silenced her by holding his finger up to her lips. "It's ok Ichigo. I understand." He was looking into her eyes again, those blue orbs burning into her vision. "I'm...glad you came."

Was he moving closer? Ichigo couldn't speak for fear of dislodging the finger pressed onto her lips.

"Did you know who the person was?" he asked her softly.

She nodded and he removed the finger.

"Why did you come, Ichigo?"

The question was different this time.

"Because you needed me."

"_I need you."_

Her eyes fluttered closed as their lips met; soft, tentative, testing. Then he moved back. Without thinking, she moved forward and closed the gap between them once more, placing her lips on his; kissing him gently, sweetly, carefully. One of his hands moved to support her face as the other rubbed circles into her palm. Together they deepened the kiss as their long-suppressed emotions were finally released. Longing. Wanting.

Needing.

Slowly, they broke apart, their hearts beating a little faster. Ichigo opened her eyes to see Ryou smirking at her. Smirking!

"Cat got your tongue, Strawberry?" he said playfully.

She hissed at him and suddenly the mood between them was the same as it was before. Yet they both knew nothing would be the same again.

* * *

_Thanks to everyone who reviews - it's wonderful to see/hear what you think of the story. :D_


	10. Tomorrow

_A/N: __Thanks to Jenn-LC for the grammatical help and Sushi for the seasonal help! As for the delay, I doubt sorry covers it, but I truly am. Writers block is a huge pain._

_**Disclaimer:**__ See Chapter 1._

**Chapter 10 – Tomorrow**

_Winter was coming to Tokyo, bringing a cold snap to the air, but for the couple under the large oak in the park nearest to the infamous café where it all started, the bite of cold soothed the heat from the kisses they were sharing. The girl, with her bright hair tied back into __her trademark twin ponytails, snuggled into the embrace of the taller blond boy who trailed his hand slowly down her back as he pulled her closer for another snippet of warmth. Their kiss ending, the boy smiled gently at her -_

"ICHIGO!"

The redhead jumped a foot in the air, ears and tail immediately popping out against her will. Breathing heavily, she attempted to calm her racing heart while turning to face the tirade coming from the now-irritated blond.

"I _knew_ you were daydreaming again!" he quipped, his triumphant tone at odds with the scowl on his face. "This is getting out of hand! The customers will stop ordering double-strength cappuccinos if this is how long they are going to have to…" Ryou trailed off at the expression on Ichigo's face and suppressed a groan. Not again.

Looking down at his feet, the blond held up a hand as Ichigo opened her mouth, no doubt to say something that would further his demise. Thankfully, she took heed and kept silent as he drew a couple of breaths and tried to build up immunity against the pathetically wounded look she was currently giving the top of his head. He only had to look up and realise that his preparation was futile – in the time he had been strengthening his resolution, she had been strengthening her expression and it was now akin to the look a puppy would give after being caught ripping into a shoe.

"I'm sorry," she responded softly, finally looking down so he could wince in relative peace. "I just looked out of the window and couldn't help think of winter."

Ryou suppressed a snort. He was quite sure thoughts of winter weren't so riveting they caused someone to lose concentration for ten whole minutes. He was also quite aware that the other Mews were pressed against the door, listening to every word and that recent experience of how embarrassing it was to be on the opposite side of the door had likely made her keep her thoughts for later.

"Just try to keep your mind inside the café for now," he replied with a small sigh, while trying to convey his forgiveness through the gentle caress of his hand on hers. When that failed to evoke the desired response, he tilted her head with a finger and pressed a small kiss onto her lips. Immediately, the injured expression was chased away by the bright smile he preferred.

With a hint of a smile on his own lips, Ryou released her hand before sweeping through the swinging door, causing four squeals of surprise as the girls were scattered. Ichigo giggled as she heard Ryou chastising them over Keiichiro's low chuckles before returning to the coffee-maker.

* * *

In the evening, when the doors had closed and the girls had gone home, Ryou and Ichigo took their usual walk through the park from her daydream. It was almost the same as she had imagined it, with the frostiness of the air and the tree they had stopped under, but the setting sun changed the picture of her imagination, making it a reality. This was real. Three months on and sometimes it was still hard to believe how drastically things had changed. She glanced at Ryou, only to notice that he was frowning slightly.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Ryou jumped a little, before shaking his head. "We should get you home before dark. No need to worry your father," he replied, evading the question.

Ichigo nodded, but didn't fail to notice that they spent the remainder of the walk home in silence. She was worried. Ryou had been more quiet than usual lately. They still bickered in the café and stole kisses in the evening, but she sensed his distance in his speech mannerisms. She feared he was growing tired of her and her clumsy antics.

She sighed quietly. Brooding about this wouldn't do her any good and waiting hadn't solved the problem. She would have to do this the direct way, by coming in early one day and gaining the truth with a cup of tea. She decided that tomorrow would be that day.

* * *

After dropping Ichigo to her home and greeting her mother at the door, Ryou walked back to the café, lost in thought. He knew he was worrying Ichigo with his behaviour. It was practically written on her face when she enquired about him almost everyday on their walk to her home. He just didn't know how to break it to her and every time he tried, his stomach twisted and he couldn't say a word. How could he tell her that he had received a scholarship to study in America and would have to leave her behind?

He sighed to himself. He couldn't dance around the issue forever. He had three months left in Tokyo and he wanted to remember them as happy days with Ichigo. The only way he could be happy was by telling her the truth. He decided that he would do it tomorrow, before she came to work.

Tomorrow, he would tell her the truth.


End file.
